Figured it Out
by Jaiaelle
Summary: After another failed date, Lois Lane finds herself standing at Clark Kent's door. One-shot.


**Committed, possibly the best episode of Smallville ever, inspired me. So here's a one shot completely unrelated to that wonderful episode (mostly). No spoilers or anything like that. Read and review please!**

It was well after midnight when Lois knocked on the door to the farmhouse, purse hung loosely at her elbow, high heels held tightly in one hand. Moonbeams from the full moon cascaded down from the sky, touching her with their brilliancy, causing the shine in her hair to gleam against the black of the night.

"Come on, Smallville," she whispered, hopping from foot to foot. "Answer the door."

It never occurred to her that he might be out of the house. Clark Kent wasn't the type of guy to stay out late any night of the week, especially not a Thursday when he had work the next day. Figuring he must've been deep in sleep, she tried the door, turning the handle, questioning why she hadn't tried it in the first place. The door opened with a click and she tiptoed in, dropping her shoes on the couch before plummeting to join them there. Letting a sigh, she rested her head against the back of the couch. A moment later, she sneezed, right before a wet muzzle pressed against her leg.

"Hey boy," she muttered, stretching one hand out to scratch the ears of the mutt she secretly loved. "Where's your master?"

As if in response to the question, Clark's deep voice sounded out. "Lois?"

She jumped then turned slanted eyes at him, noticing that he had come in through the front door and was dressed not in pajamas but in his work clothes. Apparently, he _had _been out. "Jeez Smallville! Can't you ever give a girl a little warning?"

He bit back his grin then eyed her apparel, which consisted only of a red dress. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I could ask you the same question," she huffed, reclining back and continuing to glare at him.

One eyebrow rose at her statement. "I _live_ here Lois," he reminded her, crossing the room to sit on the arm of the couch and give Shelby a quick pat.

"That doesn't explain," she said, examining her nails. "why you got home so _late_."

Again a grin threatened to overtake his mouth but he managed to suppress it. "It was a beautiful night. I was taking a walk."

Snorting, she turned her head to him, gauging him with her eyes. "Very unlikely Smallville."

Rolling his eyes at her constant use of his nickname, which she took every opportunity to use, he scooted off the armrest and dropped on the couch. She felt his closeness and moved to the opposite end. "Some people do things like that Lois."

"Weird people," she under her breath, very well intending for him to hear.

"We can discuss how strange you think I am later. What are you doing here Lois?" His voice dropped so that it was a low hum as he spoke the next words. "Are you okay?"

A side glance showed her disdain for such a question. "I'm fine, okay. I just had a date with this guy who was…well, he made you seem completely normal." She shifted a bit before continuing. "I didn't feel comfortable telling him where I lived. We met at the restaurant, after I got off of work. But Chloe drove me in today, so…" She shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile. "When he asked me where I could drop him off, I told him here. I hope that's okay."

She almost sounded sincere so he grinned, good-naturedly, at her. "You're always welcome here Lois. You know that."

A brief pause followed his statement before she said, with a cautious tone in her voice, "Were you really out taking a walk tonight?"

He swallowed, not ready yet to divulge the truth. And, anyway, he was sure if he were to relate to her the rescue operation in Paraguay she would just laugh. She only thought of him as "Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter." "Why do you care?" he decided to ask, teasing but really curious why Lois pressed the issue.

"I don't," she responded, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I wouldn't care if you turned out to be Clark Kent, calm farm boy by day, crazy partier by night."

He stifled his laughter at the thought but couldn't help but pick up on the way she said what she did. "Don't worry Lois, that's not me."

"Good."

The silence settled but Clark couldn't allow it to last. Usually it was Lois who broke the quietude, talking nonstop about whatever matter popped into her pretty head. "Lois?" he questioned, scooting closer to her.

"Y-yes," she stammered, aware that the distance between them was lessening.

"I, um, think you look beautiful tonight." It was worth a shot, he thought to himself as he moved next to her, her body heat radiating out and touching his skin. But he knew that, no matter how he hard her tried, she would rebuff his efforts and push him farther away. When her wide, hazel eyes regarded him, he felt that maybe, maybe, he could tell her everything. If she responded in the way he wanted her to, he would have to tell her the truth, no matter how difficult.

"Th-thanks!" she cried, jumping up, leaving him still sitting, eyes fixed on the suddenly vacant spot. "You know, I think I'm in need of a shower."

"It's after midnight," he told her, blue eyes full of hurt.

Pretending not to see the pain there, she moved away, toward the stairs. "I need to wash away tonight's failed date." She paused half way up the stairs and looked down at him, vulnerability flashing in her eyes. "Why are they always failed dates?"

She didn't give him a chance to answer as she flounced up the stairs, into the bathroom. A moment later, he heard the water whooshing out of the shower head. Even though she couldn't hear, he said, out loud, "Maybe because they're always with the wrong guy." As if understanding his master's heartache, Shelby rubbed his head against Clark's hand. "Thanks boy."

Almost one hour later, Lois emerged from the steaming bathroom, wrapped in nothing but one of Mrs. Kent's towels. The soft cotton rubbed against her bare skin, comforting her as she walked down the hall, toward Clark's room. Once there, she rummaged through his clothes until she found what she was looking for. Not long after, she walked down the stairs, carefully stepping so as not to fall. Shelby waited at the bottom of the stairs and she gave him a pat before heading into the lighted kitchen. Clark was there, stirring some kind of liquid with a spoon. When he looked up, his blue eyes meeting her hazel ones, she felt something in her stomach clench but she ignored it.

"Is that for me?" she asked, waltzing across the kitchen and taking the mug from his grasp. The smell of jasmine and vanilla greeted her nose as she brought it to her nose. It was the tea that Mrs. Kent always saved for her, when she visited. The sweet gesture on Clark's part touched Lois but she dared not tell him.

Clark leaned against the counter, watching as Lois took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. "I have a question for you Lois."

She glanced at him over the top of the mug and raised an eyebrow. "I may or may not answer."

"I was just curious," Clark went on, gripping the counter behind him, not too strongly. "why you didn't beg an excuse and bail on the date earlier? If the guy was so undesirable."

Lois bit her lip then set her mug down on the counter. Her eyes flashed with an undecipherable emotion before she answered, "He was strange, sure. But it was nice…to just go out on a date. I haven't been on one in such a long time…"

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her why, when she swung her legs around and stretched. It was then, and not until then, that he realized she was wearing his red and gold plaid shirt. And nothing else.

"It's late Smallville. I'm ready for bed. Mind driving me home?"

He gulped at the sight of her in the shirt, though it wasn't the first time he'd seen her in it. It was just the first time it had caused such a reaction in him. "Uhhh…" He struggled to find the words that had popped up in his brain at her question.

"Smallville?" she questioned, looking a mite concerned in spite of herself. "You okay?"

"Um, yeah," he muttered, finally regaining the ability to speak. "But…you don't have to do that. I mean, you can stay here. It's after one…you might as well stay."

The look on her face transformed to one of cautionary concern to fear. Blinking several times, she didn't respond to his offer right away. "I'm not sure…"

"You used to live here," he reminded her, inching towards her, intrigued by the thumping sound of her heart in her chest. "And you've spent the night before. What makes tonight different?"

A flash of emotion passed before her eyes again but this one he understood. A lot had changed since the last sleepover. "Look, Clark, it's nice of you to invite me but…" She paused, then shook her head. "I don't think so."

He was in front of her now and the rate of her heartbeat increased. There was a tense moment as he gazed down at her and she up at him. All he wanted to do was end the distance between them, wrap his arms around her and kiss her. Part of him believed that she wanted it to. Instead, he cleared his throat and backed away. "Alright then. I'll drive you."

It was a short distance to the apartment she rented, only a ten minute drive. Once there, she glanced at him, then down at her shirt. "Uh, I'll return this to you later."

"Nah," he told her, grinning. "You keep it. It's obviously your favorite."

Sneering, she opened her mouth to respond but, thinking about it, stopped herself. "You know, Smallville, you are one of the most gallant men I know."

The words fell sincerely from her mouth, not even tinged by a hint of sarcasm. "That's…um…well…" When it came to Lois Lane, he managed to bumble over much of what he wanted to say.

She gave him a teasing smile, then leaned in and whispered, "I figured it out Smallville."

He inhaled sharply when he felt her breath against his cheek. "Figured what out Lois?"

"Why I haven't been going on many dates lately and, when I do go on them, why they fail."

"Yeah," he replied, struggling to gain a hold on the emotions that threatened to give him away. "And what is your conclusion?"

"Because, Clark Kent, none of them are you." And then she kissed him, lightly, on the lips, causing ten thousands sensations to run up and down his spine. "Goodnight Smallville."

Without another word, she hopped out of the cab of the truck and skipped up the to front door of her apartment building. Once there, she turned and gave him a genuine grin. The light in her eyes rivaled the light of the moon and he was sure that that same light was evident in his eyes. Then, too quickly, she was gone. For a moment, he sat, shocked and still, the soundlessness of the night pounding in his ears. Then he picked up his cell phone and entered a text before heading back to the farm.

Lois shut the door to her apartment, wondering why she had chosen to act so foolishly, exposing her emotions to Clark and then kissing him. _Kissing _him. Groaning, she collapsed onto the bed of her apartment, upset that she had done it but even more upset that she had liked it. Her head dropped into her heads as she contemplated calling in sick the next morning just so she wouldn't have to face him.

Yeah right. Lois Lane calling in sick? That would be the day.

She rose from her spot, heading in the direction of her bedroom, when her phone buzzed alerting her of an incoming text message. Frowning, she grabbed the electronic device from her purse and pressed a button. Who would send her a message so early in the morning?

It was from Clark. She sucked in a breath as her eyes scanned the words then, slowly, a soft grin crossed her face and tears wetted her eyes.

The words read:

"Glad you figured it out. What do you say to dinner tomorrow after work? Promise it won't fail."

She had been fighting it for so long, fighting those annoying feelings for Clark because she thought it _would_ fail and she would lose the most important person in her life. But in that moment, she knew that a relationship Clark _wouldn't_ fail. So with flying fingers, she pressed the keys on her phone in response.

"I guess that'd be okay. Better not break your promise, Kent!"

At the farm, about to exit the cab of his truck, Clark chuckled. "I won't, Lois. I won't."


End file.
